Occupy Madison members plan to stay at Token Creek County Park until their 90-day permit expires, after county officials relocated the group from Lake View Hill County Park Tuesday.
The Dane County Sheriff’s office organized the removal of Occupy Madison members from Lake View Hill Park Tuesday, North District Captain of Police Cam McLay said in a statement on the North District’s website.
Occupy members were using a site on East Washington Avenue in early November, but the city issued an eviction notice Nov. 7. They then moved to Lake View Hill County Park on Northport Drive, but because Occupy did not have a permit, it was illegal for them to camp there.
“The campers have been relocated to Token Creek Park, and our quiet neighborhood park has been returned to its previous state,” McLay said in the statement.
Occupy member Rich, who declined to give his last name, described the county’s removal of members’ belongings as a “raid.”
Dane County Sheriff’s Office deputies and park rangers surrounded the park and confiscated camping items such as tents and blankets Tuesday, according to Rich.
Rich said the general consensus of the group is to remain at Token Creek until the permit expires in February, even though the park is seven miles away from the nearest bus stop and the park’s shower facilities are closed.
“The main question that most of us have is if they could give us a special permit to be [at Token Creek], why couldn’t they have given us a special permit to be in another park where we had access to transportation?” Rich said.
